The former number 2 of Fifa, the French Jérôme Valcke, believes in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde (subscriber edition) published Tuesday, October 4, that it is the Europeans who tipped the awarding of the 2022 World Cup for Qatar, referring to “a turnaround” by Michel Platini in this dossier.
“I agree with (Sepp) Blatter (then FIFA President) : European voters tipped the scales“says Jérôme Valcke, when asked about the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and not to the United States, also candidates. “I am not accusing (Nicolas) Sarkozy or Michel (Platini) of corruption, but there has clearly been a change in the opinion of Europeans“, underlines the former secretary general of the International Federation.
Jérôme Valcke, former Secretary General of FIFA: “We said to ourselves, ‘Qatar has so much money, let’s take advantage of it'” https://t.co/seIWHaumTE
— The World (@lemondefr) October 4, 2022
“There was a reversal, a sudden change in Michel which is linked to something. Either a realization that Qatar was the best candidate, or a lunch where all that was discussed. Before, Michel was pro-United States“, he assures. In his declarations, Jérôme Valcke refers to a lunch on November 23, 2010, which would have brought together the French president at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy, Michel Platini and two senior Qatari leaders, Crown Prince Tamim ben Hamad al Thani – who became emir in June 2013 – and Hamad ben Jassem al Thani, then prime minister.
French justice has opened an investigation for “active and passive corruption” relating to the controversial awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and the lunch of November 23, 2010 is at the heart of the case. Nine days later, on December 2, 2010, the Gulf country was designated to host the World Cup, by 14 vote against eight.
Michel Platini, who had voted for Qatar, was placed in police custody in 2019 in this case, before emerging free without any charge against him. Sepp Blatter was heard as a witness by French investigators in November 2021.